Demountable support for a traveling wave tube and its field magnet



H. SARNEZKI ETAL DEMQUNTABLE SUPPORT FOR A TRAVELING WAVE Nov.- 3, 1970 TUBE AND ITS FIELD MAGNET Filed Dec. 18, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet m m a T. m M W 1% H bm Mill fl NOV. J, 1970 SARNEZK] ETAL 3,538,367

IJEMOUNTABLE SUPPORT FOR A TRAVELING WAVE TUBE AND ITS FIELD MAGNET Filed D10. 18,-,1968 5 Sheets-Sheet2 INVENTORS fler'ber/ 682/ 'r/ 926/ War-n er GcA/W/d/ BY ATTYS.

Nov. 3, 1.970 SARNEZK I ETAL 3,538,367

DEMOUNTABLE SUPPORT FOR A TRAVELING WAVE TUBE AND ITS FIELD MAGNE'II.

Filed D80. 18, 1968. {Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig.3

/- 1:3 0 man;

7 @EM SUEDE/F" INVENTORS y We? er" 666m /'d/ ATTYS.

United States Patent US. Cl. 31349 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A frame for a high performance traveling Wave tube removably supported coaxially of a liquid-cooled magnetic coil may include a bracket supporting the tube and having a slot formed therein positively positioning the tube, and means for raising and lowering the coil relative to both the frame and the tube to facilitate removing the tube to effect repair or replacement thereof. In one embodiment, the coil raising and lowering means may include an elongated guide member extending upwardly from the support bracket and coaxially of the coil and a motorized block and tackle means for axially moving the coil. In another embodiment the raising and lowering means may include a platform engaging an underneath end surface of the coil and supported at diagonally opposite corner portions by fluid operated moving means.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention Description of the prior art High performance traveling wave tubes may be supported coaxially within a liquid-cooled magnetic coil with the coil embracing a portion of the tube containing a delayed action conduit, and one example of such an arrangement is described in The Bell System Technical Journal," pages 1830 and 1831, vol. 42, July 1963, N0. 4, part 3. Due to the high susceptibility to breakdowns of the traveling wave tube in comparison to the magnetic coil, removably mounting the traveling wave within a supporting frame has been found to be advantageous.

Heretofore, extremely long downtimes have been encountered in replacing traveling wave tubes having an output in the range of several kilowatts, since tubes of this size have a considerable weight. Downtirnes having length heretofore experienced may be particularly disadvantageous when the traveling wave tube operates as part of a transmitter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is contemplated by the present invention to provide a frame removably supporting the traveling wave tube coaxially of an associated magnetic coil and also to provide means for axially raising and lowering the magnetic ocil relative to the frame and to the traveling wave tube to facilitate removing the tube from the supporting frame.

With the configuration contemplated by the present invention the magnetic coil is lifted axially upwardly in a guided manner to a position wherein the traveling wave tube may be removed from the frame in a direction normal to the axis of the magnetic coil, thereby to eliminate the necessity of pulling the traveling field tube upwardly or downwardly relative to the frame to efiect removal thereof. This feature is particularly advantageous for a traveling wave tube and associated magnetic coil which are mounted in a standard cabinet. Also, to accommodate the features of the present invention, it is not necessary to provide additional space within the mounting cabinet, because high performance traveling wave tubes are much longer relative to the building length required for the electron gun and the electron catcher than the associated magnetic coil.

One form of the present invention includes a horizontally disposed bracket affixed to the frame and having a slot formed therein for receiving a portion of the traveling Wave tube, an elongated member extending upwardly from the bracket and having a U-shaped transverse cross section to provide a protective sheath into which the traveling wave tube is inserted and to provide a guide means coaxially of the magnetic coil, and block and tackle means for raising and lowering the magnetic coil to facilitate removing the electron wave tube. The traveling wave tube is axially supported by resting on the horizontally disposed bracket, and the tube is held into place within the U-shaped elongated member by an appropriate fastening means.

Another form of the present invention includes a platform engaging an underneath end surface of the magnetic coil and fluid operated means for raising and lowering the platform and the magnetic coil. Desirably, the platform includes a framework having a U-shaped configuration in plan view! and supported at two diagonally opposite corners by guide posts, and fluid operated lifting cylinders disposed within guide posts. In this form of the present invention, auxiliary guiding of the magnetic coil, as for example by the elongated member of the form of the invention described hereinabove, is eliminated. Also, the traveling wave tube is removably supported within the frame on a horizontally disposed supporting surface having a slot formed therein for receiving the tube, and the tube is retained in position by a plurality of appropriately formed bolting means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric view illustrating a frame for a traveling wave tube and associated magnetic coil constructed in accordance with the features of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a frame constructed in accordance with the features of a second embodiment of the present invention and shown with the traveling wave tube and associated magnetic coil eliminated for clarity; and

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the frame illustrated in FIG. 2. with the traveling wave tube and magnetic coil shown in an operating position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings, and first particularly referring to FIG. 1, a high performance traveling wave tube is generally indicated at 1. The traveling wave tube 1 includes a tube portion 2 containing an electron gun, electron catcher 3, a high frequency input conduit 4, a hollow outlet conduit 5 and a plurality of connections as at 6 to provide ingress and egress means for liquid utilized to cool the individual tube parts. For a bundled or clustered guiding of the electron ray of the tube 1,

a magnetic coil 7 encircles a central portion of the tube 1 containing a delayed action conduit. In operation, the central portion of the tube 1 is disposed coaxially of the magnetic coil 7. Normally the traveling wave tube 1 and the magnetic coil 7 are assembled within an appropriate mounting cabinet which may be a standard size cabinet having a two meter height. The cabinet has been omitted from FIG. 1 for purposes of clarity, but the various brackets and elements supporting the tube 1 and the magnetic coil 7 may be appropriately secured to a standard cabinet.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a carrier bracket 9 is affixed to the mounting cabinet and supports the traveling wave tube 1. The carrier bracket 9 includes a horizontally extending leg portion 11 characterized by a horizontal slot 12 for receiving a portion of the tube 1. Tabs as at 13 formed on the tube 1 engage an uppermost surface of the horizontal leg 11 to provide axial support for the tube. The bracket 9 also has a vertically extending leg 14 characterized by a plurality of apertures as at 16, and appropriate bolting means engage the apertures 16 and secure the bracket to the mounting cabinet.

An elongated member 17 having a substantially U- shaped configuration in transverse cross section extends vertically upwardly of the carrier bracket 9 and is positioned to encase the tube 1 when the tube is properly inserted through a slot into an operating position. An upper strut 18, secured in the cabinet in a firm manner, supports an uppermost end portion as at 19 of the elongated member 17. At least one hingeable bolting means 21 releasably secures the tube 1 within the member 17.

The magnetic coil 7 coaxially embraces the member 17 in a manner to be guided thereby when the coil is axially raised and lowered. In a lowermost position, the magnetic coil 7 rests on a pin 22 projecting upwardly from the horizontal leg 11 of the carrier bracket 9.

Also, in accordance with the present invention, the mag netic coil 7 is suspended by a block and tackle apparatus indicated generally at 23 and supported by the strut 18. The block and tackle apparatus 23 is trained over guide pulleys as at 24 and may be propelled by an electric motor as at 26 or other appropriate driving means.

Whenever it is desirous or necessary to remove the traveling wave tube 1 from the member 17, as for example when the tube fails to properly function, the block and tackle apparatus 23 is operated to raise the magnetic coil axially of the tube 1 and the member 17, as indicated by arrow 27, to a position wherein the tube may be easily removed in a direction normal to the axis of the magnetic coil. A repaired or replacement tube 1 may then be inserted into the member 17 and slot 12 of the bracket 9 in a direction indicated by arrows 28.

In accordance with the principles of another embodiment of the present invention, the block and tackle apparatus 23 may be replaced by fluid operated lifting means for raising and lowering the magnetic coil 7' relative to the traveling wave tube 1 to facilitate removing the tube. Referring now particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, a mounting cabinet generally indicated at 31 is provided with fluid operated means for raising and lowering the magnetic coil 7. This form of the present invention is similar in many respects to the form of the present invention described hereinabove, and similar parts and elements have been designated with-like reference characters to which a prime has been added.

A support or carrier platform 32 having a substantially inverted U-shaped configuration is affixed to a bottom wall portion 33 of the cabinet 31. The carrier bracket 32 has a horizontally extending medial portion 34 characterized by a slot 36 for receiving a portion of the traveling wave tube 1' in a manner similar to that of slot 12 as described in the first embodiment of the present invention.

A movable platform or frame 37 engages an underneath end surface of the magnetic coil 7' to raise and lower the magnetic coil relative to the mounting cabinet 31 and the traveling wave tube 1'. The platform 37 has a U-shaped configuration in plan view to provide an open area for permitting removal and insertion of the traveling Wave tube 1'. The frame or platform 37 carries the magnetic coil 7' and is guided between a pair of diagonally opposed corner posts 38 formed as two corners of the mounting frame or cabinet 31. A pair of hydraulic lifting cylinders 39, 39 having a suflicient capacity to lift the platform 37 and the magnetic coil 7 are installed within the corner posts 38, 38. A source of pressurized hydraulic fluid of a pump 41 is appropriately connected to the hydraulic or fluid operated cylinders 39, 39 by means of appropriate fluid conduits 42, 42.

Bushing or wear surfaces may be formed between the platform 37 and the diagonally opposed corner posts 38, 38, and these bushings may include low friction plastic strips adhered along substantially the entire length of the corner posts.

Also, the horizontal medial portion 34 of the carrier bracket 32 may be provided with a plurality of apertures as at 43 for receiving appropriate bolting means to secure the traveling wave tube 1' to the bracket. In this embodiment the tube 1' may expediently be equipped with a pole plate for the magnetic coil 7 and the pole plate may be secured to the supporting bracket 32 by the bolting means.

The form of the present invention as illustrated in FIG. 2 may be particularly appropriate for installation in a control cabinet as illustrated in FIG. 3.

With either of the embodiments of the present invention as illustrated in the drawings, the traveling wave tube 1 or 1' may be simply and rapidly replaced. To remove the traveling wave tube 1 or 1, the magnetic coil 7 or 7' is lifted upwardly by appropriately operating the coil lifting means, either the block and tackle apparatus 23 or the fluid operated cylinders 39, 39, to a position wherein the tube may be horizontally removed without requiring either raising or lowering thereof. When the traveling wave tube 1 or 1' has been replaced, the magnetic coils 7 or 7' may be lowered by either of the coil raising and lowering means to a position wherein the magnetic coil axially encircles the central portion of the tube and rests on the. respective support bracket, either 9 or 32, thereby to positively position the magnetic coil relative to the tube in a proper operating relationship. Therefore, in spite of the considerable weight of the magnetic coil 7 or 7', which for magnetic coils utilized in high performance traveling wave tubes is in excess of kilograms, the present invention provides mechanical lowering and raising means permitting manipulation of the coil without any difiiculty.

Although minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of our contribution to the art.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a frame for a high performance traveling wave tube removably supported coaxially of a magnetic coil comprising:

means secured to the frame and releasably securing the tube within the frame and also supporting the magnetic coil relative to the tube in an operating position; and

means disposed within the frame for raising and lowering the magnetic coil in a guided manner axially of the tube between the operating position and a position permitting removal of the tube in a direction normal to a horizontal axis thereof.

2. A frame as defined in claim 1, and further characterized by:

said tube securing means including means forming an elongated member having a configuration providing an elongated slot to permit insertion of the tube therein, said member extending coaxially of the magnetic coil; and

hingeable bolting means releasably retaining the tube in inserted relationship within the elongated member. 3. A frame as defined in claim 1, and further characterized by:

said tube securing means including means forming a carrier bracket providing a horizontally disposed carrier member having a slot formed therein for receiving a portion of the tube and also having a plurality of apertures formed therein; and bolting means engaged into said apertures and securing the tube in firm assembly with said bracket. 4. A frame as defined in claim 2, and further characterized by:

said raising and lowering means including means forming a platform engaging an underneath end surface of the magnetic coil; and hydraulically operated means for raising and lowering both said platform and the magnetic coil. 5. A frame as defined in claim 4, and further characterized by:

said platform means engaged at diagonally opposite corner edge portions by a pair of diagonally opposed corner posts formed as a portion of the frame to guide said platform; and

said hydraulically operated means including a pair of hydraulically operated lifting cylinders engaging said platform at said guided corners and disposed Within said diagonally opposed corner posts. 6. A frame as defined in claim 2, and further characterized by:

said coil raising and lowering means including a motordriven block and tackle apparatus secured to the frame and engaging the magnetic coil. 7. A frame as defined in claim 6, and further characterized by:

said tube securing means including a carrier bracket secured to the frame and providing a horizontally disposed surface having a slot formed therein for receiving a portion of the tube and also having a projectionformed thereon for supporting and positively positioning the magnetic coil in an operating position relative to the tube.

No references cited.

JAMES W. LAWRENCE, Primary Examiner C. R. CAMPBELL, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X-R. 

